photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels scrambles away from Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

Tucson, Ariz. — Facing a fourth-and-2 deep in Arizona’s territory with a three-point lead, Kansas missed its first field goal of the season.

Arizona drove 80 yards on the following drive and scored a 24-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left, as the Jayhawks’ hopes of a bowl-clinching win ended with Arizona winning instead, 24-20, on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.

The Jayhawks got to that key down-and-distance after redshirt senior quarterback Jalon Daniels scrambled for seven yards on a third down. After the play, an official pulled Daniels from the field for an injury. Since the official called it, Daniels was forced to sit the next play, regardless of whether Kansas coach Lance Leipold called a timeout or not.

“I just remember the ref saying behind me that we have a timeout on me, and it’s going to be an injury timeout,” Daniels said. “I remember turning around to ask him, ‘For what?’ I looked to the sideline, and I’m like, ‘Who is it for?’ And they said it was for me.”

That led Leipold to decide to kick a field goal, since Arizona hadn’t scored in the second half and Daniels wouldn’t have been on the field. In the end, redshirt senior kicker Laith Marjan missed, and Arizona drove down and scored its touchdown to win.

“We just felt that putting one of the other guys in in that situation, (it) was better to kick the field goal. Ultimately, I make that decision,” Leipold said. “If Jalon was in the game, we were going for it. Talking with (offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski), we made the decision to kick the field goal and make a touchdown beat us.

“If you ask me again if I’d make that same decision, I don’t know right now. I have to admit that.”

Each teams punted quickly on its opening drive. Kansas forced Arizona into a three-and-out, and the Jayhawks went 16 yards before having their drive stall.

The Wildcats came out hot on their second drive, as redshirt junior quarterback Noah Fifita attacked the Kansas defense with intermediate throws and had a 19-yard rush on a quarterback power that put the Wildcats in the red zone. Fifita finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior tight end Sam Olson on a slot fade.

Kansas couldn’t answer on the next drive, going 21 yards in four plays. The defense held up on the other end and forced a three-and-out in which Arizona went backwards eight yards. The Arizona drive ended in a short punt that gave the Jayhawks the ball at the Arizona 46-yard line.

The Jayhawks picked up 24 of their 46 yards on a pass to Cam Pickett, who found space up the sideline and almost scored but stepped out of bounds. Daniels picked up 14 yards on a scramble and scored on the next play with a 1-yard sneak.

Arizona’s offense slowed down considerably at the end of the first quarter and into the start of the second. The Wildcats had three drives that combined for a loss of a yard, and the Jayhawks took advantage of this by scoring on three straight possessions.

The Jayhawks went 78 yards in six plays and scored on their next drive after the touchdown. After a 6-yard gain on a run from redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall, the Jayhawks picked up 22 yards on back-to-back pass plays, one to Pickett and another to redshirt senior Boden Groen. Daniels later hit Emmanuel Henderson Jr. on a 24-yard post route in the end zone.

Kansas put pressure on Fifita throughout the first half, and the Jayhawks added two sacks on the drive following the Henderson touchdown. Dakyus Brinkley got a solo sack for the first of his career on second down, and he and DJ Withers combined for a sack on the next play.

The offense had another drive with good field position and turned it into points. The Jayhawks stuck to the ground game on the drive, as redshirt senior running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. carried the ball four times and got 28 yards.

After reaching the Arizona 29-yard line, the Kansas offense fell flat and settled for a 46-yard field goal, which Marjan hit to give the Jayhawks a 17-7 lead.

Arizona’s offense found some rhythm late in the second quarter and executed a touchdown-scoring four-minute drill. Leroy Harris III intercepted Fifita’s pass at the KU 30-yard line and returned it 77 yards, but a holding penalty on sophomore cornerback Jalen Todd put the Wildcats in the red zone with a first down. Two plays later, the Wildcats found the end zone with 23 seconds left in the half.

“It was pretty deflating — if you go up 24-7 at half, that’s huge,” Leipold said. “To have a defensive holding off the play on a play that probably that kind of contact is common … It was called, I can’t change it. Leroy made a heck of a play and then an even better run to take it all the way.”

With a three-point lead, the Jayhawks led at halftime on the road for the first time since playing Cincinnati in 2023.

The Jayhawks went three-and-out to start the second half, going only seven yards before Finn Lappin punted the ball 53 yards.

Fifita and the Wildcats went 62 yards in six plays on their first drive of the half, but pressure from the Jayhawks defensive front disrupted the offense and forced the Wildcats to kick a 41-yard field goal to tie the game.

Kansas held Arizona to 10 points in the middle quarters, as Leipold said the team played with aggression and confidence.

“We flew around, we tackled pretty well,” Leipold said. “We had a pretty good idea of how they were going to attack us, and we were able to throw a very accurate quarterback out of rhythm.”

For the final drive of the third quarter, Kansas drove to the Arizona 40-yard line but was held to fourth-and-5. After trying to draw the Wildcats offside, the Jayhawks took a delay-of-game penalty and punted to open the fourth quarter.

Leipold said the Wildcats were disruptive up front, which led to the Jayhawks struggling to score in the second half. Kansas finished with only a field goal in the final two quarters.

“Some was Jalon getting some pressure, I think we had a drop or two in there as well that were off hands,” Leipold said. “Arizona did a good job in (third-down) situations, for sure.”

Daniels took the blame for the lack of scoring in the second half, saying that he wasn’t able to get the ball to his playmakers in space enough.

“I was inaccurate on a few throws today where they were sitting open, and I have to be better,” Daniels said.

The Wildcats got a break on their first fourth quarter drive, when a Fifita pass bounced off Kris Hutson and into Taylor Davis’ hands for an interception, but upon review, Davis was unable to maintain possession of the ball as he went down.

The Kansas defense made up for it as Todd got his second sack of the game on third down. The Jayhawks finished with five sacks and six tackles for loss in the game and were able to make play in the Arizona backfield.

Kansas and Arizona traded punts before the Jayhawks received the ball at the Kansas 22-yard line with 9:24 left in the fourth quarter.

The Jayhawks picked up 20 yards on a pass to Groen, who was able to leak out into the flat and find some open space. Daniels later added10 yards on a third-and-11 on the ground, and a sneak on fourth down gave the Jayhawks a fresh set of downs at the Arizona 39 with 5:30 left.

Kansas drove to the red zone and drained the clock but were stopped for a fourth-and-2 from the 12-yard line. The Jayhawks decided to attempt the field goal, and Marjan missed his first of the season.

That gave Arizona the ball with a little over two minutes left in the game. The Wildcats went 80 yards, including a 24-yard run in which running back Quincy Craig ran untouched into the end zone.

The Jayhawks had 39 seconds left to make a miraculous comeback, but the team ran out of time, falling short of securing the team’s sixth win of the season.

“This one stings,” Leipold said. “This team wants to play a 13th game, there’s no doubt about that. For us to find a way to make sure we hit that benchmark is important.”

KU fell to 5-5 and will enter a bye week before traveling to face Iowa State on Nov. 22.

How they scored

First quarter

7:16 — Sam Olson 16-yard pass from Noah Fifita. Michael Salgado-Medina PAT good. Eight plays, 78 yards, 3:15 TOP. UA 7, KU 0.

0:32 — Jalon Daniels 1-yard run. Laith Marjan PAT good. Five plays, 46 yards, 2:05 TOP. UA 7, KU 7.

Second quarter

11:17 — Emmanuel Henderson Jr. 24-yard pass from Jalon Daniels. Laith Marjan PAT good. Six plays, 78 yards, 3:01 TOP. KU 14, UA 7.

4:16 — Laith Marjan 46-yard field goal good. Eight plays, 29 yards, 4:03 TOP. KU 17, UA 7.

0:23 — Quincy Craig 8-yard pass from Noah Fifita. Michael Salgado-Medina PAT good. Eleven plays, 75 yards, 3:53 TOP. KU 17, UA 14.

Third quarter

11:23 — Michael Salgado-Medina 41-yard field goal good. Six plays, 62 yards, 2:04 TOP. KU 17, UA 17.

5:51 — Laith Marjan 50-yard field goal good. Ten plays, 43 yards, 5:32 TOP. KU 20, UA 17.

Fourth quarter

0:39 — Quincy Craig 24-yard run. Eight plays, 80 yards, 2:00 TOP. UA 24, KU 20.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. celebrates a first down in the fourth quarter against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels scrambles looking for an open receiver downfield against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas defenders celebrate after a stop against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas punter Grayden Addison and kicker Laith Marjan celebrate after Marjan kicked a field goal against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas running back Leshon Williams makes a move to avoid Wildcat defenders against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. hauls in a touchdown ahead of Arizona’s Jay’Vion Cole on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas linebacker Trey Lathan tackles Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas wide receiver Cam Pickett tries to shake off Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

photo by: Jesus Portillo/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas cornerback Jalen Todd is pictured during a game against Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz.

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